Brake-controlling mechanism for trailers



Oct. 14, |924. l

C. DE MATTIA BRAKE CONTROLIING MECHNISM FOR TRAILERS Lslnszs.

Filed Jan. 23, 1922 Patented Oct. 14, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CONSTANT DE MATTIA, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO WOLVERINE TRAILER yEQU'IIMEN'T COMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

BRAKE-CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR TRAILERS.

Application led January 23, 1922. Serial No. 531,149.

To @ZZ whom t may conce/M1,

Be it known that l, CONSTANT DE MATTIA,

citizen of the United States, residinof at Detroit, county of Wayne, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Brake-Controlling Mechanism for Trailers, and declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the Same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the Same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this speciiication.

My invention relates to a brake controlling mechanism for trailers for motor driven vehicles shown in the accompanying drawings and more particularly described in the following specification and claims. One of the objects of this invention is to provide means for automatically applying the brake mechanism of ay trailer imme.- diately upon the application of the brake mechanism o-f the truck or motor hauling vehicle, to which the trailer is coupled, should Athe hauling vehicle suddenly stop or slo-w do-wn in transit and also to maintain the trailer under control when descending a grade ;-the construction however being such that the braking mechanism of the trailer is automatically released upon the acceleration of the hauling vehicle when ascending a hill or upon the driver of the hauling vehicle increasing its speed while under his control.

A further object of the invention is to provide for automatically setting the brake of the trailer upon the hauling vehicle backing toward it in order that the tractor and trailer may be readily coupled together. A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby both the hauling vehicle and the trailer may be backed wthout setting the brake mechanism of the trailer. j

Vith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds`the invention further, residesin the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of `construction herein after described and claimed, it being understoodk that changes may be made in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed without departing from the spirit of the same.

In the drawings accompanying this l,speciiioation:

Figure l is a fragmentary side elevation of a motor driven vehicle indicated by dot and dash lines,-also a fragmentary view of a trailer coupled to the tractor, showing in full lines a manually operated lever mechanism controlled by the driver whereby the brake mechanism of the trailer may remain in released position, in order that the tractor and trailer may be backed together without setting the brakes of the latter, the View showing in dash lines the lever mechanism of the hauling vehicle raised to prevent any relative movement of the latter vehicle with the trailer whereby thev brake mechanism may be actuated.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view with parts in section showing the tractor in dot and dash lines coupled to the trailer with the `lever mechanism of the trailer raised to maintain its brake mechanism in released position.

Referring now to the letters of reference placed upon the drawings:

A, denotes the frame of a moto-r driven or hauling vehicle; B, the drivers seat; C, the usual fifth wheel mechanism carried by the hauling vehicle; D, indicates the frame of the trailer; E, 'designates a floating transverse coupling bar supported in the side members of the trailer fra-me adapted for engagement by a hook F, supported above the fth wheel of the tractor. G, is a rock-shaft journaled in the side sills of the trailer frame D, fitted at each end with rocker arms Gr G', to which are connected brake rods H, H, controlling the usual brake mechanism (not shown) carried upon the wheel hubs of the trailer. I, I, denote link bars respectively connected to the rocker arms G and to the ends of the ioating transverse coupling bar E, which has a limited slidable movement in the slotted ways K, K, provided in the side members of the trailer frame D. L, indicates a rock-shaft journaled in suitable bearings Secured to the tractor frame. The rock-shaft L is formed with an arc-shaped central portion L partially encircling the fifth wheel mechanism whereby it may be free Ito rock without interfering with the latter. Fitted to the ends of the rock-shaft L, are right angle members L2 adapted to overlap the ends of the trailer frame D to provide an abutment L3 to receive the thrust of the trailer frame when the tractor is backed into the trailer. The rock-shaft L is actuated a bell-crank lever M, pivoted in a bracket Nein' turn bolted to the supporting frame of the fifth Wheel mechanism of the tractor. P, is a connecting rod pivoted at one end to the bellecran'k lever and at its opposite end 'to manually operated` lever Q, installed in the cab of the 'tractor conveniently hear the' driversl Seat.

'Iviiig iivv indicated the severalparts by" referenc''ey letters the construction and operation tof the device vvill be readily understood'. y

The tractor having been coupled with the trailer should the speed iof the tractor be Siitldtiily istituita the trailer moving toward the tractor lata relatively higher speed than the ,latter ivill 'serve to operate the rock shaft G through the thrust of the links I, liif'oiiiited upon the floating transverse shaft- E, iii turn engaged hy the hook F of the tractor'. The rock shaft rG( tvillthus be tilted thereby operating the brake mechanisl'n of' the trailer. Upon the'travctor being driven the hook F engagil'lg the floating transverse bar E vv'ill through its movement in the sflthK, K, or the trailer,- lservelto reverse the" tilting movement of the' rock shaft G, thereby releasing lthe brake' mechanism oi the trailer. Sov also uponbacking the tractti inte the titiller te couple the vehicles t0- gether by means of the hook F` which engagits` the'l floating tittiisvei-jst hai E ,thel links I, I, acting upon the rocker arms Gr" G" di the roth-'shaft will also operate' the' traits,

mechanism if the trailer so: that the titiller niav he"v held vvhile the coupling of the tracttifwith the trailer is tiittttd.

iii litt/titi it itdtsiittl to: hath both the y tractor and trailer the driver may upon manually` operating the lever Q 4cause the bell 'crank lever Mto lift the rock-shaft L, thereby shifting the petition 0i thel iight angle members L2 into the path oi the side sills er the trailer frame D.' It will novv be evident that the, ends of the trailerframe D, u'pon contacting with the abutting por'- tion L3 or said members L2, will serve, to prevent a' relative lilovement ofthe trailer toward the tractor suihg'zient to cause the operation of the trailer brake mecha- :norder that certain parts may be more clearly shown in' the dravvings the side sill or thev trailer frame is broken ay'vay on the iliidrside at its ends, as indicated at Z in Figure 1 of the ,dravvingszln' practice however theend oi" the frame is cut square to' engage the angular member L2 as will be readily understood. The floating transif'erse" coupling bar E carriedl by the traile`r,-

l pliiigjv the titili te the haiiliiig vtliitltj upon Which the link-bars I, I are mount- `ed,-is shown in Figure 2 in'v dot and dash lines that it may not 'e confused With the rock-shaft L located directlyV beneath said transverse coupling bar. 70

Having thus described my invention .What I claim is:

1.*The comhiilatioii olT a hauling vehicle, a trailer, a suitable braking mechanism for the trailer, combined coupling and brake applying mechanism including means for detachably connecting the' trailer thtJ liaiiliiigpvtliitlt iti automatically apply g the brake mechanism of the trailer through the thrustpoi the hauling vehicle resiiltihg" from a difference in the relative movement' of the respective vehicle, and means" tiar-v ried by the hauling vehicle and arranged to" receive the thrust of the trailer for prevent; i'ng" operation of the brake iiiclii 85 anism.; i .i .f

Q'. The combination oi'4 a hau'liiigvliicle, t tiiilti, il. siii-title liifiliiiigl iiit'tlitii ifi-i the trailer and combinedneaii's for coupling' the trailer to the vhaullh'gvve'lliitle andihr 90 operating they braking ineludil'ig means for detachably connting'the trailer with the hauling vehicle and Af mati'cally applying the brake niechni y. the trailer througliuthe thrust of the haiiliiig g5 vehicle resulting from a,'clitfeiei1`ce in 'the' relative movement of the irespective vez. hielt, means', carried by the hauliig vehjele and] arranged toreceive'the thrust of the' titilti iti pieveiitiiigtptiititii 0i` the'- t i mechanism, manually operable for throwing.' the thrust r''eceiviil'gl mech-a4' i'iisih hito ail-deut rof operation., n

a. The tahiti* iti 0i i; hihihi-gf vehicle, a trailer aiiu suitable hiakliig; mechanism for thetrailer,4 combined means ,for cjiifor operating the braking mecha including means for detchahly conn eti the trailer With lthe vehicle, air 1'1'0 for automatically applying the brake mechanism ofthe trailer thl'ii'gi-h the tl of the hauling vehicle, mechaV sin molf'ited on the hauling vehicle and` tiri?r edV to ceive the thrust of l'the trailer for revzeiiti 1.115 ing operation of the brake mechanism of the tiiilti and iiieaiis als@ maiiiittu the hauling'vehicle and including-,a haiidY lever for' throvving the thrust receiving mecha.- nism into and out of Operation. ,n L

4:. The combination of a lauli'gi vehicle, a trailer, meint for detathahly ttiiiiettiiig the hauling velf'iicle and" trailer together iii: @hiding a, floating tiansveise haisupported iii th@ traine of thev trailer hiwing4 a limited 1,25 slidab'le movement thereina hook meliiber carried bythe hauling vehicle adapted to automatically engage the floating transverse bar, a rock-shaft j'ourlialed in the f the trailer, a brake operating' I'iihisi 130 for the trailer, means connecting the rockshaft with the brake operating mechanism of the trailer, linl; connections between the roclcshaft and said floating transverse bar, whereby upon the movement of the floating transverse bar as a result of the thrust of the trailer due to difference in the speed of the respective vehicles said rock-shaft may be actuated to set the brake mechanism, and manually operated means carried by the hauling vehicle adapted to act as an abutment to receive the thrust of the trailer frame, whereby the brake mechanism of the trailer may be maintained in released position to permit simultaneous backing of the hauling vehicle and trailer.

In a tractor machine, a tractor and trailer having brake operating mechanism, means or detachably connecting the trailer with the tractor including a floating transverse bar having a Limited sliding movement through slotted ways in the trailer frame, a coupling hook carried lby the tractor and arranged to engage the said ioating transverse bar, a rock shaft journaled in a trailer frame and connected with the brake operating mechanism, a link connection between the rock-shaft and the floating transverse bar, whereby upon the operation ot the rock shaft through the iloating har and the link mechanism, brake mechanism o the trailer may be set and a swinging abutment carried by the tractor, manually operated means for swinging said abutment into position to receive the thrust of the trailer frame to hold the floating transverse bar against sliding movement in the said slotted ways to enable the tractor and trailer to be simultaneously backed without operating the brake mechanism of the latter.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specilication in the presence ot two witnesses.

CONSTANT DE MATTIA.. Witnesses:

S. E. THoMAs, JOHN CoNslnINE. 

